Jar cap wrench



C. STEGMEIER March 5, 1940.

' JAR CAP WRENCH Filed March 22, 1939 Patented Mar. 5, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT-OFFICE JAR GAP WRENCH Charles Stegmeier, Auburn, Calif. Application March 22, 1939, Serial No. 263,314

1 Claim,

This invention relates to jar cap wrenches or tools for applying or removing the screw caps of fruit jars and the like, and the primary object of the invention is to provide a tool of this kind in an economical and efiicient form of construction.

Another object is to provide a jar cap wrench comprising an elongated handle having a press foot or spur projected from the side of the working end thereof in spaced relation to the extremity of said. end portion, the handle end being apertured outwardly of the spur, and an operating strap having one end secured to the extremity of the handle outwardly of the apertured end, the free end of the strap being adapt-. ed to embrace the cap of a jar and thence to be passed through the said aperture in the end of the handle and underneath the said spur, whereby by rocking the handle in the direction of the 0 free end of the strap as placed around the jar cap, the press foot or spur is caused to pinch the free end of the strap against the margin of the jar cap, thereby locking the strap'against sliding and enabling the tool to unscrew the jar 5 cap from the body of the jar.

Another object is to provide a tool of the kind described, including an elongated handle having an aperture or eye formed through one end thereof, and having a press foot or spur extended laterally from the end of the handle immediately inwardly of the said aperture, and a strap having one end secured to the outer end bight or margin of the aperture and its free end brought around and passed through the said aperture immediately under the said press foot or spur, whereby the strap may be placed around the cap of a jar and drawn taut'therearound, and the handle then operated as a lever for unscrewing the cap from the jar, in which operation the said press foot or spur of the handlewill ride upon the free end of the strap and press same. upon the immediately underlying portion of the same strap and pinch and lock the strap against slidable movement.

With the foregoing objects and advantages in view, attention is directed to the accompanying drawing wherein,

Figure 1 is an elevation of the upper section of a fruit jar having a screw cap mounted thereon,

55 Figure 3 is a detail view, in perspective and somewhat reduced, of the lever-handle portion of the tool, the strap being omitted.

The invention comprises an elongated handle represented generally at 5, and which may be constructed of tough hard wood, or any other 5 suitable material. An aperture or eye 6 is pierced through the predetermined working end of the handle, the same being preferably rectangular in form and including an outer or marginal bight 1 and spaced marginal side portions 8 which define 10 the said aperture.

A press foot or spur 9 is extended laterally from the apertured end of the handle immediately inward of the said aperture 6, the same being fiat, of approximately the same width as the 15 width of the eye 6, and being extended at a slight angle outwardly from the plane of the eye 6, as clearly shown in the drawing.

An operating strap ll] of leather or other suit-. ably flexible material, is cut to a length suflicient to pass around the jar cap I I one and one-quarter times, approximately, so as to provide at all times a free end of the strap for the accommodation of jar caps of varying sizes, as mounted upon their jars, one of such jars being represented at l2, and being of the conventional screw top form. I

The strap I0 is cut to a width approximately corresponding to the width of the eye or aperture 6 of the end of the handle. One end of the 30 strap is anchored to the bight 1 of the eye 6 in any conventional manner as by encircling the bight with the strap and then riveting the end of the strap down to the main strap, as shown at I4. The opposite free end [0a of this strap is then brought around to form a loop l5 adapted to embrace the jar cap H, and the end is passed slidably through the said eye 6 of the handle 5, immediately under the press foot or spur 9.

In use, the loop. I5 of the strap is placed as aforesaid around the jar cap II and is drawn taut by pulling upon the free end I011. of the strap, in which operation the end Illa will overlie the main body portion of the strap as represented at lb. The placement of the strap is in a direction corresponding to the direction in which it is desired to turn the cap. This movement would of course be in a clock-wise direction for installing the cap upon'the jar, and in an anti-clockwise direction for removing the cap, under the conventional mode of forming the screw tops of the jars and the threading of the caps. The press foot or spur 9 is extended over the free end Illa of the strap in either case, in which position it will bear down upon this end of the taut strap and will pinch and lock the same against the underlying portion lib, and this in tum pinching against the flange oi the jar top, will eflectually lock the strap against slippage. In this operation the handle 5 is 01' course rocked in the direction 01' the free end oi. the strap, .and the Jar itself being held firmly by one hand, the operator is then enabled to unscrew or screw up the cap relative to the jar by derstood I may vary same in minor details, not

departing however from the essence of the invention as defined in the appended claim. For

instance if desired a ring I! may be mounted at.

the free end 01' the strap for retaining the strap against sliding out through the eye Q.

an end portion with a rectangular eye formed therethrough, a press foot or spur extended laterally irom the end of the handle at a point im- 5 mediately back oi the eye and lying in the direc-. tion of the eye opening, and a strap anchored at one end to the bight of the eye, the opposite free end 0! the strap being passed slidably through the said eye irom the side opposite to the said press 10 .ioot or spur and'being extended underneath said press foot or spur, whereby'the strap may be looped around a jar cap and the handle rocked to lock the strap operatively around the cap.

CHARLESBTEGMEER. 

